Kenyan press face hostile work environment, study finds

The working environment for journalists and
media workers in Kenya is increasingly hostile, with at least 91 percent of
journalists at local media outlets having faced security threats in the course
of their work, a new study has revealed. The harassment of and attacks against journalists,
with nearly 40 percent coming from politicians, indicates a need for urgent
attention from both state and non-state actors if press freedom is to be
guaranteed in the country.

The study was called "Safety
and protection of Kenyan journalists: Is it common sense or common cents?" and
was commissioned by the Working Group on the Media and undertaken by my
organization, the Media Council of Kenya. Released on May 2, 2013, to mark
World Press Freedom Day, the study found that more than 70 percent of
journalists in Kenya are dissatisfied with the level of safety and the security
measures afforded to them by their media houses.

The study found that more than 50 percent
of the 282 participating journalists had received threats more than once in their
working life, which, according to the study, was "a confirmation that
journalists are increasingly working in a hostile environment in Kenya." At
least 27 percent of the journalists said they receive several threats a month,
while at least 62 percent said they have received at least one threat every
month.

Threats against journalists in Kenya were mostly
conducted through mobile phones--mostly text messages and phone calls. One
journalist, James Wakahiu, said he started receiving threats after a story he
had done on cases at the International Criminal Court. First, he said, they
came in "short text messages via my phone, followed by an email to our
newsroom." Then, aggressors visited his offices several times, "threatening to
bomb it."

The study found that "not many of the
respondents were satisfied with the response mechanisms for complaints," and
emphasized the urgent need for media houses to put in place safety and
protection measures. The study also noted that security agencies in Kenya need
to thoroughly investigate cases involving harassment and attacks against
journalists.

Among the major challenges cited for
journalists in Kenya are poor pay and inadequate working conditions; working
under managers who are not trained journalists; and, in extreme cases, taking
instructions from editors who maintain political alliances. The study found
that journalists feel media outlets lack the commitment to not only investigate
violations against their reporters, but to forestall such attacks. The
participants also said they felt their complaints would not be adequately
addressed because "most editors and employers were ranked very highly as
sources of threats to journalists."

The study's findings suggest that there isn't
enough public and official awareness of the security concerns of media
practitioners. This lack of awareness was reported among both journalists and
non-journalists.

The study pointed to a gap between existing
support initiatives and the journalists and media professionals' practical
needs and challenges. The available support mechanisms were found to be
inadequate, ad hoc, and largely unknown to the majority of journalists who
needed them. The existing support initiatives seemed to focus more on the
upstream journalists who are employed full-time and cover big investigative
stories.

Dr. Haron Mwangi, the CEO of the Media
Council of Kenya, said the findings are valuable in the sense that they provide
baseline information on the safety of journalists, which will form the basis of
interventions that industry players can put in place. He said, "We have picked
up some of the recommendations from the report and started implementing some at
the council. We have already done some training on safety and protection for
journalists, set up a safety fund, a hotline and Web-based alert system for
journalists in distress in Kenya."

It is important that with comprehensive
intervention the media industry enhance the safety of journalists in Kenya. The
study makes it apparent that stakeholders should develop a common charter and
agree on a national protocol and safety and protection standards; develop a
comprehensive national safety and protection training program; engage in public
awareness activities on the issue; and mobilize resources to support the
implementation of this national safety program.

If not, as the study found, "The concern is
that if something is not done in time, the harassment of journalists will
become the norm and lead to self-censorship and eventually thwart the spirit of
media freedom and freedom of expression."

Victor Bwire is the deputy chief executive officer and programs manager of the Media Council of Kenya. He is a safety trainer for journalists and can be reached at [email protected].